Excerpt:
On September 15 I wrote a piece in the Parool newspaper in which I said that we Moroccan Dutch do not represent a special case and should not be treated any differently from other Dutch citizens born and bred here. I titled my column: 'I am Dutch, not Moroccan.'
I had to retract my words under an avalanche of criticism. The Moroccan Dutch do occupy a special place because the Moroccan nationality is automatically given to us at birth, my critics told me.
Moroccan Dutch often don't wish to be looked upon as Dutch and many other Dutch people don't consider them to be Dutch. This is grist to the mill for those who criticise the multi-cultural society and an effective defence for those who want to exempt themselves from the responsibilities and duties of being a Dutch citizen. The result is a divided society.